Smith Suglasses tells Ebay buyer I will guarentee his purchase

[coupe]

This one says it all.

I sell Smith sunglasses and last week a man came to the office, with a pair of Smith sunglasses, that he bought on EBAY. He told me they were defective. He had contacted the Canadian distributor and was told to bring them to me (I am the closet retailer). Smith told him that I should take them back and return them to Smith for a full new pair, ON THE GUARENTEE.

I spoke with Smith and they confirmed that this was true and that all SMITH sunglasses have a lifetime warranty irregardless of where they were bought. A quick look on EBAY showed me that I can purchase Smith Sunglasses for LESS than I pay wholesale. So why should I buy from the dealer when I can buy them anywhere online cheaper and still have the FULL SMITH WARRANTY.

The very next week I received another client, who is a ski patrol professional. He was at the store because Smith offers ( supposed to be a secret) a profeesional discount to him. They apprantly have a SPECIAL PRICE LIST for these people.

I wrote a letter of complaint to Smith but received no reply.

NO I did not help the EBAY client and ask him to settle the problem with Smith, not me. The ski patroller I told him to contact Smith direct.
Colleen M. Cain – Smith Optics, Inc.
Military and Public Safety Sales
809 Windflower Drive
Longmont, Colorado 80504
cmcain@comcast.net
(866) 543-0833 (toll-free)
(303) 682-9931 (office)
(303) 682-9932 (fax)
Smith Optics, Inc.
2010 Military and Public Safety Program
Welcome to the 2010
Smith Military and Public Safety Program. Enclosed you will find the 2010 Smith MPS program information. Please note that this special pricing is available only to members of your office/department/agency. Sales may not be extended to include friends, family members or persons outside of your group. Abuse of the program will result in immediate termination of purchasing privileges.
PLEASE RESPECT SMITH DEALERS AT ALL TIMES!!! DO NOT UTILIZE DEALERS AND SALES PERSONNELL AS RESOURCES FOR PRO PROGRAM PURCHASES. DO NOT ADVERTISE THIS PROGRAM TO RETAILERS. SHOULD SMITH RECEIVE DEALER COMPLAINTS INVOLVING THESE ISSUES, ALL PRO PROGRAMS IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS WILL BE ELIMINATED.
To place an order, please complete the 2010 Pro Form and
fax or scan/e-mail (information listed above) to my office. Please make sure your orders include the model name, frame color and lens combination as listed on the current price list and displayed at the Smith website catalog (www.smithoptics.com). Payment may be made utilizing Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Please include the card expiration date and billing address along with your order. Personal checks are not accepted. Please note that product returns, refunds and/or exchanges are not allowed under this program. This policy will be strictly enforced.
Orders will be shipped and charged based on availability.
Products out of inventory at the time of order are tracked and will ship as they become available. All shipments are made via UPS or FED Ex Saver at a flat rate of $8.00 (one to five pair). Shipping charges on larger orders will be based on weight.
All
Smith sunglasses are warranted against manufacturing defects for the life of the product. If you have a warranty claim or repair request, please send your product for evaluation following the instructions detailed under the "lifetime warranty" section of the Smith website.
Thank you very much for your interest in
Smith Optics. Please feel free to contact me should you have questions or need assistance of any kind.
Colleen M. Cain
Smith Optics, Inc.
Military & Public Safety Sales Program
For additional information:
www.smithoptics.com

[mdeimler]

Time to give Smith a much needed exit from your office. There are many good replacements.

[GokhanSF]

Time to give Smith a much needed exit from your office. There are many good replacements.

Which good replacements are you referring to? Because there aren't many options.

[mdeimler]

Native, Bolle, Rudy Project, Wiley X, Maui Jim, and Nike are some I have had. Also, there are Dragon and Spy, which I have seen, but not dealt with. This is all I can think of right now.

[jpeaslee]

Interesting to hear this this. We used to carry smiths (before I started working here). We've had a significant number of people asking about them because they loved their old ones. We've been looking into carrying them again possibly in lieu of the Wiley's. We carry Costa (definite biggest seller in South Ga), Oakley, and Wiley X. The biggest crowd of the Wiley X people are Military and get them from Wiley directly. I personally like the wiley's but I come from a military family and I do a lot of shooting. They just don't really move in our office.

[coupe]

Saw Bolle in Costco / club price for $39.95

[Java99]

Native, Bolle, Rudy Project, Wiley X, Maui Jim, and Nike are some I have had. Also, there are Dragon and Spy, which I have seen, but not dealt with. This is all I can think of right now.

Also Sergengetti, Revo, Arnette, Reptile, RayBan, Adidas.

[Golfnorth]

The thing I like best about Maui Jim other than it's a great product is how they protect the retailers.
Yes they are in Costco but they only sell them their discontinued product.
Anything current is not available there. So if someone wants to cheap out and buy a disco product with no reasonable expectation of parts being available when needed then that's fine with me.

Regards,
Golfnorth

[edKENdance]

I said good riddance to all the major brands of suns. Hasn't hurt us yet. Our sun sales are up even though we're not carrying brands you can get at a Sunglass Hut or a Costco.

How is Maui protecting you by selling disco product at Costco? Would they sell it to you?

[jpeaslee]

I said good riddance to all the major brands of suns. Hasn't hurt us yet. Our sun sales are up even though we're not carrying brands you can get at a Sunglass Hut or a Costco.

How is Maui protecting you by selling disco product at Costco? Would they sell it to you?

Do you mind me asking what brands you have that are doing well?

[edKENdance]

Reptile is doing the best and we carry the whole collection. At present we have OVVO, Ziggy, Frieze and Anvi Frieze, Etnia Barcelona. We carry Leader for sport. The Circuit style has been better received than any other sunglasses I can remember.

also Koali coming and light-tec coming

[Golfnorth]

[QUOTE=edKENdance;447537]I said good riddance to all the major brands of suns. Hasn't hurt us yet. Our sun sales are up even though we're not carrying brands you can get at a Sunglass Hut or a Costco.

How is Maui protecting you by selling disco product at Costco? Would they sell it to you?[/QUOTE

Well I wouldn't want to buy the disco product.
Maui supports me by not selling any current merchandise to Costco.
I can justify and difference in price by the fact that the Costco models are not current and not that serviceable.

Regards,
Golfnorth

[edKENdance]

[QUOTE=Golfnorth;447542]

I said good riddance to all the major brands of suns. Hasn't hurt us yet. Our sun sales are up even though we're not carrying brands you can get at a Sunglass Hut or a Costco.

How is Maui protecting you by selling disco product at Costco? Would they sell it to you?[/QUOTE

Well I wouldn't want to buy the disco product.
Maui supports me by not selling any current merchandise to Costco.
I can justify and difference in price by the fact that the Costco models are not current and not that serviceable.

Regards,
Golfnorth

The reply I usually got when I used to have to say that was "for the price I'm paying? who cares? I'll just buy another pair". Maui wont even let you put them on sale. Maui seems anti-american.

[LENNY]

[QUOTE=Golfnorth;447542]

I said good riddance to all the major brands of suns. Hasn't hurt us yet. Our sun sales are up even though we're not carrying brands you can get at a Sunglass Hut or a Costco.

How is Maui protecting you by selling disco product at Costco? Would they sell it to you?[/QUOTE

Well I wouldn't want to buy the disco product.
Maui supports me by not selling any current merchandise to Costco.
I can justify and difference in price by the fact that the Costco models are not current and not that serviceable.

Regards,
Golfnorth

Maui will be happy to service the frames bought at costco! If they have problem with the style being disco they would offer direct discount to the customer eliminating their network of retailers!

[GokhanSF]

Native, Bolle, Rudy Project, Wiley X, Maui Jim, and Nike are some I have had. Also, there are Dragon and Spy, which I have seen, but not dealt with. This is all I can think of right now.

Wiley X sells direct through their website, at Wal-Mart, all sporting goods stores, all websites, and Harley Davidson stores. They all provide the limited lifetime warranty and Rx it as well. So I don't see how that is a replacement for Smith??? Pretty much same thing with Bolle. I have seen Bolle even at a gas station.

[Johns]

[QUOTE=Golfnorth;447542]

I said good riddance to all the major brands of suns. Hasn't hurt us yet. Our sun sales are up even though we're not carrying brands you can get at a Sunglass Hut or a Costco.

How is Maui protecting you by selling disco product at Costco? Would they sell it to you?[/QUOTE

Well I wouldn't want to buy the disco product.
Maui supports me by not selling any current merchandise to Costco.
I can justify and difference in price by the fact that the Costco models are not current and not that serviceable.

Regards,
Golfnorth

I had to read this three times to see if you were quoting someone, or if you were really saying it.

Do you REALLY believe this?? You REALLY believe they are P R O T E C T I N G you??? Really?

You pay full wholesale for their product, you educate the consumer, they hem and haw and say.."Hmm..I know they're good, but $250 is an awful lot to pay for suns." Then...8 months later, they go into Costco..."Yep, it's just like Golfnorth showed me, only look at the price! It's time to buy!"

Where's the protecting coming in? You are nothing more than a preview showroom for their soon to be discontinued product!!! Protection? No way, no where, no how!

[EyeCare Rich]

Wiley X sells direct through their website, at Wal-Mart, all sporting goods stores, all websites, and Harley Davidson stores. They all provide the limited lifetime warranty and Rx it as well. So I don't see how that is a replacement for Smith??? Pretty much same thing with Bolle. I have seen Bolle even at a gas station.

FYI, Wiley X Rx has to go through a supplier, cannot do over website. Other than that, you are correct in all you have stated. I do have to say regarding Wiley X though, I have not had issues "competing" with the other vendors/routes, as you get my service as part of the order. Same with Costa Del Mar.

[Johns]

This one says it all.

Coupe,

Thanks for the post. I really wish more people cared, but when you walk in to independent offices and see Lux on the walls, you know it's a hopeless cause.

[obxeyeguy]

Coupe,

Thanks for the post. I really wish more people cared, but when you walk in to independent offices and see Lux on the walls, you know it's a hopeless cause.

Have another glass of kool aid!

[QUOTE]Maui supports me by not selling any current merchandise to Costco.
I can justify and difference in price by the fact that the Costco models are not current and not that serviceable.QUOTE]Thanks for the laugh, this is beyond crazy! Think about it, and it will come to you, maybe.

[Golfnorth]

[QUOTE=Johns;447584]

I had to read this three times to see if you were quoting someone, or if you were really saying it.

Do you REALLY believe this?? You REALLY believe they are P R O T E C T I N G you??? Really?

You pay full wholesale for their product, you educate the consumer, they hem and haw and say.."Hmm..I know they're good, but $250 is an awful lot to pay for suns." Then...8 months later, they go into Costco..."Yep, it's just like Golfnorth showed me, only look at the price! It's time to buy!"

Where's the protecting coming in? You are nothing more than a preview showroom for their soon to be discontinued product!!! Protection? No way, no where, no how!

I have never encountered the above and sell a good number of Maui Jims but I respect that you have a different opinion than I do. My opinion may change when the Costco that is slated to be built in the West-end is completed sometime next year. If it does I will be the first to say that you were right and I was wrong.

Regards,
Golfnorth

[Johns]

[QUOTE=Golfnorth;447597]

I have never encountered the above and sell a good number of Maui Jims but I respect that you have a different opinion than I do. My opinion may change when the Costco that is slated to be built in the West-end is completed sometime next year. If it does I will be the first to say that you were right and I was wrong.

Regards,
Golfnorth

It's not about either of us being right or wrong. It's about our tolerance for being used as showrooms by companies that sell out both sides of their mouths.

There's not a Costco within 45 miles of me...that's not the point. It's about principal. If I know there are other opticians getting sc***wed over by a company, I won't deal with them. I don't wait until it affects me directly. Just like the original poster and Smith Optics. That made an impression on me, and I'll take that into consideration when buying.

If you're selling a ton of Maui, that's great. You're making a profit, paying your bills, and that's the name of the game. It can be done a number of ways, and we're just doing it differently from each other.

[obxeyeguy]

[QUOTE=Johns;447598]

It's about principal. If I know there are other opticians getting sc***wed over by a company, I won't deal with them. I don't wait until it affects me directly. Just like the original poster and Smith Optics. That made an impression on me, and I'll take that into consideration when buying.

Not many of us left that think this way, always someone to throw us under the bus, and another so called optician.

[GokhanSF]

FYI, Wiley X Rx has to go through a supplier, cannot do over website. Other than that, you are correct in all you have stated. I do have to say regarding Wiley X though, I have not had issues "competing" with the other vendors/routes, as you get my service as part of the order. Same with Costa Del Mar.

I am correct in all of it. It does not have to go through a supplier lab. That is what you are told to keep giving them your business. If you push a little you will get anything you want from them.

[optical24/7]

To my knowledge MJ doesn't sell Rx lenses through Costco.

[idispense]

rotflmao .